Reflections
by fuzzy-grapes
Summary: The death of Julius Root has affected so many different people in so many different ways. Completed! Please review!
1. Holly

NEW AUTHORS NOTE: Hello. I am re doing this. Futher explaination on the Trouble part of this fic. If anyone is indeed still reading this fic. It's on, like, page ten of all the Artemis Fowl fics so I guess it's not going to be rating highly on peeps list of Things to Read. Well, you know. Hi. Stuff. Cool. And that.

OLD AUTHORS NOTE

Hey, it's me again! I just got the Opal Deception recently and it was so sad! This will probably be my only fic with Root dead in it – I really like Commander Roots character. This is sort of angsty but it is still funny – mainly because I'm using quotes from the book. It is sappy – VERY SAPPY – and sort of weird so here is:

**Reflections **

PS. I don't own any of the quotes from the Artemis Fowl books, or the song Someone's Watching Over Me by Hilary Duff.

Holly

It was Saturday morning and Holly was sitting on the sofa, absentmindedly watching holo-vision. One of Foaly's inventions, it enabled her to watch human television (practically the only good thing about the mud people) as a hologram so it seemed like it was happening right there. Sort of like 3-D glasses, only less dorky. But Holly couldn't concentrate. So, when a new song came on MTV, it barely interrupted her train of thought.

_Found myself today  
Oh I found myself and ran away  
Something pulled me back  
The voice of reason I forgot I had  
All I know is you're not here to say  
What you always used to say  
But it's written in the sky tonight_

Holly found herself thinking about Commander Root. He was gone. He wouldn't be here anymore. And that was too hard for her to accept. She thought about how he had treated her when he first met her.

_Root froze, staring at Holly. 'Yes? What is it? Is there some kind of plumbing emergency?'_

'_N-no,' Holly stammered. 'Corporal Holly Short, reporting as requested, sir.'_

_Root stood, red spots burning on his cheeks. The commander was not a happy elf._

'_Short. You're a girl?'_

'_Yessir. Guilty as charged.'_

'_We're not on a date, Short. Keep the witticisms to yourself.'_

'_Yessir. No jokes.'_

'_Good. I assumed you were male because of your pilot test scores. We've never had a female score that highly before.'_

'_So I believe, sir.'_

_The commander perched on the edge of his desk. 'You are the eightieth female to have made it as far as the initiation. So far none have passed. The equal-rights office is screaming sexism so I'm going to handle your initiation personally.'_

_Holly swallowed. 'Personally?'_

_Root smiled. 'That's right, Corporal. Just you and me on a little adventure.'_

'_You've got twenty minutes to cry or say your prayers or whatever it is you females do, then I'm comin' a callin'.'_

'_I hope your skills can pay the cheques your mouth is writing.'_

'_That's a direct order, Short, so take that insolent look off your face, it's making me nervous. And when I get nervous I tend to fire people. Get the message?'_

Holly smiled, fondly. She remembered that day. She had saved all of them from death at the hands of Turnball Root. A tear trickled down her cheek._ "You're going to wash out in six months and probably cost me a fortune._" He had said to her. She had cost him a fortune. But it had taken her years to '_wash out'. _

_So I won't give up  
No I won't break down  
Sooner than it seems life turns around  
And I will be strong  
Even if it all goes wrong  
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe  
Someone's watching over me_

The tears came, faster now. She remembered the first Fowl Affair. She remembered it well. The commander had been about to fire her when he decided to give her one more chance. Maybe he should have fired her. Then she wouldn't have been around to fall for Opal's little trick with the trigger bomb. She sniffled and concentrated on her memories.

'_I don't know why it is, Captain Short, but whenever you start agreeing with me, I get decidedly nervous.'_

He had seemed to dislike her but then he risked a lot to rescue her from Artemis Fowl. And then during the next Fowl incident….

'_Oh hardly covers it, Captain!' Root's hair was quivering with emotion. 'This was supposed to be a surveillance mission. There were several back-up squads sitting on their well-trained behinds only waiting for you to call. But no, Captain Short decides to take on the B'wa Kell on her own._'

'_Oh no, Captain. You're the best shuttle pilot we have. You're going to Paris.'_

'_There you are, Captain. Never let it be said I don't look after my officers.'_

So he looked after her. But she didn't look after him when it really mattered. More than once he had risked his career for her. And she had just stood there and watched him die? Even speeding up his death? She quietly started to sob.

'_Tell me, Captain. That's a direct order.'_

'_Holly, maybe I could jump. I could make it. I'm sure I could make it.'_

'_Captain Short! What the hell were you thinking? I could have been killed!'_

And now he had been. And it was mostly her fault.

_Seen that ray of light  
And it's shining on my destiny  
Shining all the time  
And I wont be afraid  
To follow everywhere it's taking me  
All I know is yesterday is gone  
And right now I belong  
To this moment to my dreams_

Yet, he had known that she had been practically born to be a police officer. And he had told her that. And she had told him that she would do what was best for Haven. What would he say if he found out she quit the LEP? She imagined his face. She imagined trying to explain what she had done. "I can explain…"

'_Oh, I'll just bet you can. But, strangely, I have a premonition that your explanation is going to cut no ice with me whatsoever and I will have you badge in my drawer by the end of this shift._'

'_One foot. If there was so much as one foot sticking out, we could be all over the internet by tomorrow. Holly, why do you do this to me?'_

They had been through difficult times together, Root shouting encouragement every step of the way…

'_Holly, the future of our culture is at stake here. The bottom line is that Artemis's future is not our problem_'

'_Listen to me, Captain. Being command means making tough decisions. Not being in command means shutting up and doing what you're told. Now mesmerize those humans before we lose the link._'

She sighed and wished that the commander was here. If anyone had told her, five years ago, that she was ever going to miss the commander – cry over him even – when he was gone… She would have booked them in for counseling with a psychiatrist. But now…. Once they'd gotten over the whole female in recon thing, Root was like her father.

_So I won't give up  
No I won't break down  
Sooner than it seems life turns around  
And I will be strong  
Even if it all goes wrong  
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe  
Someone's watching over me_

It doesn't matter what people say  
And it doesn't matter how long it takes  
Believe in yourself and you'll fly high  
And it only matters how true you are  
Be true to yourself and follow your heart

And she had been there with him, he had spoken his last words to her, telling her to do what was best for Haven, and then she quit the LEP? She had double, triple guessed her decision. Would it have been better to stay in the LEP? Or did she make the right decision?

And Commander Sool, he was nowhere NEAR as good as Root. She remembered that day, Root's last day in the LEP.

'_I want to tell you something, Holly. About my career. It's actually a metaphor for your career so listen carefully and see if you can figure it out. Many years ago, when you were still wearing one-piece baby suits with padded backsides, I was a hotshot Recon jock.'_

Holly cried, harder this time.

'_The people need good officers, Holly. They need fairies like you to protect them from the Mud Men. Would I prefer to be zipping around under the stars with the wind in my nostrils? Yes. Would I do as much good? No._'

'_If it makes any difference, I'm proud of you Holly_'

These words seemed so unlike Commander Root, yet they meant a lot to Holly. She got yet another tissue to blow her nose.

'_Stay back. Stay back. It's a trigger,_'

'_Go now. Holly, I am ordering you to leave._'

'_It's a trap. Don't be fooled again._'

'_Don't take the shot. Just get out of range. Go and save Artemis. That's the last order I'll ever give you, Captain. Don't you dare ignore it._'

'_Don't call me Julius! You always do that just before you disobey me. Save Artemis, Holly. Save him._'

A lump welled in Holly's throat. She wished as hard as possible to go back to that moment and prevent Root from going into the chute. To stop herself from taking the shot. To find a way out. To bring Root back.

'_Be well_'

These were his final words. For the last second he had left, he simply smiled at Holly, all traces of temper and blame gone from his face. As if he understood why she had to try.

_So I won't give up  
No I won't break down  
Sooner than it seems life turns around  
And I will be strong  
Even if it all goes wrong  
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe  
That I won't give up  
No I won't break down  
Sooner than it seems life turns around  
And I will be strong  
Even when it all goes wrong  
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe  
That someone's watching over  
Someone's watching over  
Someone's watching over me_

Someone's watching over me

'_Be well.' _Was she well? Was she going mad? She wasn't well, she knew that. And she probably wouldn't be for a very long time.

AUTHORS NOTE:

I need to do a lot of work on this. So please review! Again, I do not own any quotes, they are the work of Eion Colfer. Seeya!


	2. Trouble

NEW AUTHORS NOTE:

Hello! I have located all my old files and Microsoft word on my stuffed computer. And I was browsing through all my old stories and I stumbled across this one and I decided to, you know, edit a bit and that. Cos I literally wrote this and posted it in around 1 hour. Like, without spell checking it or anything. So now I've decided to go through all my old files and edit them this weekend. Next weekend I will get up to the task of updating. This may take a while….

PS. I now answer reviews! Why? Because we kill things! (What, you haven't seen retarded animal babies? Shame on you! (Please tell me if you know what I'm talking about.))

OLD AUTHORS NOTE:

I have one review since I wrote the first chapter three hours ago – Thank you! I'm gonna write about four or five chapters in this thing and I hope I can do most of them today so I can spend the rest of my time on something more HAPPY – my other fic. I don't own most things in this story including the characters, the quotes and Eminems song Like Toy Soldiers. So here is:

**Reflections**

Trouble

Major Trouble Kelp should be happy. He was a Major and could soon be promoted, he had just completed a mission (even though the position of Major was mostly a desk job) and Foaly had rigged it so human radio music came out of Commander Sool's computer's speakers every time he went on the computer – and this happened a fair bit considering the new commander was more technologically advanced than Root had been. There. Root. This was the reason Trouble wasn't happy. Julius Root had recently been killed and Holly Short was accused of his murder due to a complex trick Opal Koboi had rigged up. So now Root was dead and Holly had quit the LEP force. A new song came over the new commanders speakers.

_Step by step, heart to heart, left right left _

_We all fall down like toy soldiers _

_Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win _

_Battle wages on for toy soldiers _

Holly Short. A girl who was just as good as, if not better, than himself at policing. A natural born pilot, with anti-authority tendencies. He remembered her initiation vividly. It was one of his fondest memories that included Root and Holly. The two main people in his life who were now gone.

_I'm supposed to be the soldier who never blows his composure _

_Even though I hold the weight of the whole world on my shoulders _

_I am never supposed to show it, my crew ain't supposed to know it _

Root was going to fire Holly until Trouble convinced him to give her a chance. That was when Holly had tagged him with the paintball pistol

'_You did tag me.' Root said finally_

'_That's right,' agreed Trouble, 'She did'_

'_And I did say……'_

'_You certainly did.'_

_Root rounded on Trouble, 'What are you? A parrot? Will you shut your trap; I'm trying to swallow my pride here.'_

That was one of the things that made Root a good commander. He did the right thing with a bit of urging from his officers. Another thing Trouble missed about him.

_I'd never drag them in battles that I can't handle unless I absolutely have to _

_I'm supposed to set an example _

_I need to be the leader, my crew looks for me to guide 'em _

And that was exactly why Trouble couldn't stick up for Holly. Not that she needed him too. She had guts. First she shoots Root with a paintball to secure herself a place in the force. Then she spends the rest of her career on the edge of being fired. And finally, when she's accepted back she decided to go and quit. He had to admire her. But he could never do what she did, no matter how much he sometimes wanted too. So many people depended on him.

_Step by step, heart to heart, left right left _

_We all fall down like toy soldiers _

_Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win _

_Battle wages on for toy soldiers _

The new Commander was never going to live up to Root's reputation. One of the things that made a hard day in the force bearable was listening to Julius and Foaly having a go at each other in the operations booth. Now all he had to listen to was music blasting out of Sools computer speakers. And that was hardly a consolidation.

'_So what are out options, Trouble?'_

'_D'Arvit! I thought our goblin troubles were over. I'm tempted just to send in tactical and take a chance that Scalene is bluffing'_

Those had been Root's last words to Trouble. And Trouble felt that he should have prevented Holly and him from going. If he'd only insisted……. But there was nothing he could do. Root was gone. And he couldn't fix that.

_Step by step, heart to heart, left right left _

_We all fall down like toy soldiers _

_Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win _

_Battle wages on for toy soldiers _

AUTHORS NOTE:

It's short but I thought that Trouble should be in here somewhere! Review plz! Seeya!


	3. Foaly

NEW AUTHORS NOTE: Same thing again, just re doing this fic.

REVIEW ANSWER THINGS FOR CHAPTER 2:

aperfectattitude: Thanks. Yeah, I didn't really like root that much either but when he and Foaly argued… That was funny.

cybergurl: Why, thank you.

avovisto: Thank you for liking this fic. I was like crying practically when he died. (then I realized I really must stop getting so worked up over pieces of fiction. Anyway.) Long chapters are okay to write but don't they get boring to read after a while? Maybe it's just me… But this is longer. Definitly.

FetishFemale: I am glad you like it.

The Dark Empress of Eternity: Why thank you. I think.

AUTHORS NOTE:

Hey guys, it's me again! Between training for an athletics meet that's coming up and school I haven't had much time to, you know, chill and write and that. So this is slightly a bit rushed. I will probably do one or two or three more chapters – I just need to find the right songs for the rest of the characters. I won't do all of them – just the ones that mattered the most to Root. Thank you to all five of my reviewers! You guys are totally great! I will update my other fic possibly tomorrow but I want to finish this one, you know. So here is:

**Reflections**

Foaly

Foaly giggled. Well, as much as a centaur can actually giggle. He was pleased with himself. He had just sent a prank email to everyone in his address book. And that was a lot of people considering the whole LEP was wired into an email system and he was the consultant for it. The email read: You have just received the Amish Computer Virus. Since the Amish don't actually have computers, this virus is based on an honor system. So please delete all the files off your computer. Thank you for your co-operation.

Foaly giggled again. Wait til Root got hold of this! Knowing him, he would probably be halfway through deleting his files before realizing it was one of Foaly's pranks. He waited for a reply. And got one.

To: technicalgeniusfoalylepweb.gnom

From: lepreconcommanderlepweb.gnom

Subject: Let's talk budget cuts, centaur!

Just then Foaly remembered. Root was gone. This instantly sobered the centaur. He stared numbly at the screen for a while. How could he forget? Root had gone. And there was nothing he could do about it. Except for avenge Roots death the technical way. He would play pranks on Sool until he decided to quit. After some thought, Foaly rigged it so loud Mud Man music was blasting out of Sool's computers speakers.

_Take my photo off the wall  
if it just won't sing for you  
'Cause all that's left has gone away  
And there's nothing there for you to prove_

Foaly couldn't help but reminisce about the times that he and Root had shared. After all, what was more fun than antagonizing someone that can't do anything more than yell at you? And he and Root were almost friends. Not that any of them would admit it but ever since the Artemis Fowl Affairs they had spent more time together….

'_We lost contact with Captain Short.'_

'_Why am I not surprised?' Groaned Root, burying his face in his hands._

'_We had her all the way over the Alps'_

'_The Alps? She took a land route?'_

'_Against regulations, I know. But everyone does it.'_

_The commander nodded grudgingly, 'OK. Move on. When did we lose her?'_

'_This is the feed from Holly's helmet unit. Here we are over Disneyland Paris, now dolphins. Blah blah blah. The Irish coastline. Captain Short is scanning for magic hotspots. Site fifty-seven shows up red so she heads for that one.'_

'_Why not Tara?'  
Foaly snorted, 'Tara? Every fairy hippie will be dancing around the Lia Fail. There'll be so many shields on it'll look like the whole place is underwater.'_

'_Fine. Just get on with it, will you?'_

'_All right. Don't get your ears in a knot. Nice smooth landing. Holly takes off the helmet.'_

'_Against regulations. LEP officers must never remove-'_

'_Yes commander, we all know what the handbook says. But are you trying to tell me that you never sneaked a breath of air after a few hours in the sky?'_

'_No. What are you? Her fairy godmother or something? Get to the important bit!_'

'_Don't worry Foaly; I'm still running red hot. And I'll make up for my age with a really big gun. Now get a pod ready. I'm leaving on the next flare._'

Foaly smiled. Fond memories. There had been an office pool on when Root's heart would pop. Foaly held the current winning bet. Three more decades. But in the end they'd all lost. Fifty ounces of Chix Verbil's gold down the drain. The centaur felt a lump slide up in his throat.

_  
Oh, look what you've done  
You've made a fool of everyone  
Oh well, it seems likes such fun  
Until you lose what you had won_

Foaly didn't know if he wished he'd been nicer to Commander Root when he'd been… alive.

'_Oh. Ha ha. Very amusing. Keep it up, Foaly. I have my limit, you know.'_

'_I said impressive! No need to get a swollen head!'_

'_After all the billions we've poured into your department. Remind me to slash your budget when I get back.'_

'_My status, Foaly, is extremely annoyed. Get on your computers. I want to know everything there is to know about one Artemis Fowl, and I want to know it before I get back to base.'_

'_Holmes, Moriarty, they both look the same with the flesh scorched off their skulls.'_

'_No Foaly! There isn't something! None of your bright ideas thank you very much. Captain Short's life is in danger, so push the button before I climb that tower and push it with your face!'_

Foaly smiled, fondly. That was the Commander alright. His gruff fondness. His kind yet harsh encouragement. His budget cuts.

'_Don't tell me you're looking for an apology, Foaly. I've already used my quota for today. And that was to a lifelong friend.'_

And his willingness to try out Foaly's new gadgets…

'_Why haven't I seen this before?'_

'_It's a covert kinda thing…'_

'_And?' said Root suspiciously._

'_Well, there have been accidents…'_

'_Tell me, Foaly'_

'_Our agents keep forgetting they have it on.'_

'_Meaning they shoot themselves.'_

'_One of our best sprites was picking his nose at the time. Three days on the critical list.'_

'_Don't worry, Foaly, I'm not a complete idiot. Anything else?'_

_Foaly unhooked what appeared to be a false bottom from one of the racks._

'_You're not serious! What does that do?'_

'_Nothing. But it gets a great laugh at parties.'_

'_One, you're right. Two, I'm going to run with it. Three, well done, you two. And four, if you ever call me Julius again, Foaly, you'll be eating your own hooves._

'

Foaly smiled through his sadness. Aaah, good days. But Sool was no Root. No matter how hard he tried, his way of ordering everyone around didn't compare to Root's almost friendliness. Sool just wanted mindless clones. Root had valued his officers' opinions.

_Give me back my point of view  
'Cause I just can't think for you  
I can hardly hear you say  
What should I do, well you choose_

Something wet trickled down Foaly's cheek.

'_Good man, Foaly. Hit that back-stabber where it hurts, right in the ambition.'_

'_It's…..the human….I've never…..Oh, forget it, Foaly. You're going to have to see this for yourself.'_

'_I don't know what you're talking about. Total accident. I forgot about the finger. There are several precedents, I believe.'_

'_You do that just to annoy me, don't you?'_

'_Automatic compensator, my foot.'_

'_I trust science about as far as I could throw you, Foaly. Radiation has a habit of hanging around when certain scientists have assured us it had dissipated.'_

Foaly smiled sadly. Now Julius was gone. And Foaly missed him.

_  
Oh, look what you've done  
You've made a fool of everyone  
Oh well, it seems likes such fun  
Until you lose what you had won  
_

Foaly turned his thoughts to the second Artemis Fowl Incident. He had been outsmarted by Opal Koboi and it had almost lost all of their lives. Yet Root had managed to underestimate the technical side of it again.

'_Forgive me for not quaking in my boots. So a few goblins get to play human video games. So what?'_

'_Oh no? I hope your not being melodramatic'_

'_No. Do tell me what the worrying thing is.'_

'_No, Foaly. You get on it. This is priority. So give your conspiracy theories a rest for a few days and find me that inside fairy who's selling his junk.'_

'_One, don't call me Julius, civilian. And two, I'd say it was more like donkey work.'_

'_Quit your moaning, Foaly. I saw the budget for this machine. It better do more than unblock the drains.'_

They had had some interesting conversations. It was impossible not to. Put Holly, Julius and Mulch Diggums in one room and you were bound to start laughing some time. But not now. Now Julius had been killed. And Holly had quit.

_  
Oh, look what you've done  
You've made a fool of everyone  
A fool of everyone  
A fool of everyone_

The third Artemis Fowl Affair had been…… interesting. Foaly had disobeyed Julius to help Holly and everyone get into the building. If Root had found out he would have been angry – which was exactly why Foaly did it. And in the end when Foaly had wiped Artemis the kid still found a way to trigger his memories. That was one smart kid.  
_  
Take my photo off the wall  
If it just won't sing for you  
'Cause all that's left has gone away  
And there's nothing there for you to do_

And then there was the fourth Fowl thing. The most recent. Another tear trickled down Foaly's cheek. He remembered it well. First the goblin, then Opal had foxed his sensors.

'_Our horsy friend here designed Howler's Peak automated security system all on his own.'_

'_One, don't call me Julius. Two, do what I say, horsy boy, or I'll have your budget slashed. And three, what in Fronds name is the cancan?_

'_Foaly, do I have to remind you that your sensors have been fooled before? In this very terminal, if I remember correctly.'_

If only Foaly had listened. If only Foaly had double checked.

'_Don't tell Foaly I said that, his head is swelled enough as it is.'_

'_I'll take your word for it. Just push the button before I come out there and push it with your face.'_

Foaly sobbed into his arm. The last thing that Julius had said to him. The very last thing.

_Oh, look what you've done  
You've made a fool of everyone  
Oh well, it seems likes such fun  
Until you lose what you had won  
_

And was it true? Had Foaly unwittingly caused the death of Julius Root? He had let his system be hijacked by Opal Koboi twice. The second time had been fatal. He knew one thing. No amounts of science medals that he won over Opal would ever make up for that. And he would never forgive her for making a fool of him.

_  
Oh, look what you've done  
You've made a fool of everyone  
A fool of everyone  
A fool of everyone_

AUTHORS NOTE:

Well I finally finished that! Just so you know: I didn't make up all of the things in italics – they are Eion Colfers from the Artemis Fowl books and Jet's song Look What You've Done. I'm having a tiny bit of trouble getting a song for Mulch and for Artemis even though I'm not sure if I'll do him. If you have any suggestions plz review and tell me! Seeya, athleticsrulz.


	4. Mulch

AUTHORS NOTE:

Okay, with any luck I can post this on the same day as Foaly's thing. No new reviews? I feel hurt, excluded and left out. Lol! Seriously, please tell me what you think! I don't care if you hate it – unless you don't tell me in which case I will be seriously offended. But enough about me and my lack of reviews. It's time for more:

**Reflections**

Mulch

Mulch Diggums had all the things a convicted criminal could ever ask for. He was free of all charges, had set up a PI agency with Holly Short (who wasn't trying to arrest him for a change) and the cash was rolling in, hence the multiple fried pit slugs and squid that he had just consumed. Yet the dwarf's triumphs against the evils of being a thief were tinged with sadness. And it was all to do with the death of a certain LEPrecon commander. He decided to go for a bit of a tunnel to digest his meal. While he tunneled underneath Police Plaza he thought about Root's death. Normally, Mulch wouldn't even consider feeling sad about someone who had caught him during various criminal acts and then arrested him. But Root was different. It was something about his personality. That and his ability to get completely worked up about any little incident. Mulch could hear the pumping vibrations of music from one of the offices in Police Plaza.

_Monday morning hesitate  
Cant get out of bed  
I'd rather go back to the dreams  
Of living in my head, yeah_

_Tuesday evening packed my bags  
And headed out the door  
I left a box of memories  
Lying on the floor, yeah_

Mulch could never resist having a crack at Root. He remembered the first time they had worked together. It was during the first Artemis Fowl Incident…..

'_I don't know what dreamworld you live in, convict, but in the real world you are a criminal and it is my job to ensure your life is as unpleasant as possible. SO if you're expecting civility just because I've testified against you some fifteen times, forget it!'_

'_If you can call seventeen convictions doing better.'_

'_No chance, convict. Government Issue. Anyway, what would you do with one in prison? Get a close-up of the other side of your cell?'_

And up to the time of his supposed 'death'. Commander Root had been genuinely concerned, according to Foaly. But with the centaur you could never really tell.

_Ride on  
Ride till early morning sun  
Ride on  
Like the dawning of the day  
Its too late  
To let all your feelings show  
Go on  
Till the night has crept away_

And the Commander had almost had a heart attack when he found out Mulch was alive and well, living of LEP gold.

'_Well, well. If it isn't my favourite reprobate, back from the dead.'_

'_Enjoy it while you can, Diggums. Because your next meal is going to be pushed through a slot in a door.'_

'_Listen to me convict. I have not traveled all this way to listen to your war stories. So shut your trap before I shut it for you.'_

Yet, one thing had to be said for Root. His negotiating skills were pretty good.

'_Civil rights!' Root spluttered. 'You're talking to me about civil rights! Isn't that just typical?'_

_Then, strangely, he calmed down. In fact he seemed almost happy. Those who were close to the commander knew that when he was happy, somebody else was about to be extremely sad._

'_What?' Asked Mulch suspiciously._

'_Oh, nothing. Just that you're right, that's all.'_

'_I'm right? You're saying, in front of witnesses, that I'm right.'_

'_Certainly you are. Putting you in the line of fire would violate every right in the book. So, instead of cutting you the fantastic deal that I was about to offer, I'm going to add a couple of centuries to your sentence and throw you in maximum security. In Howlers Peak.'_

'_Howler's Peak? But that's a….'_

'_A goblin prison. I know. But for an obvious escape risk such as yourself, I don't think I'd have any trouble convincing the board to make an exception.'_

But when Mulch tried to help, he never seemed to appreciate it. Mulch was going to ring Julius up and point that out to him when he remembered that he would never be able to do that again.

_Running from the city lights  
Running from this empty life  
I'm running out of time tonight  
I'm screaming out for help  
Help_

Mulch sniffed. He had no time for this. He had to keep digging. And remembering.

'_Anybody in kindergarten, maybe. So it's a fissure, so what?_'

'_Tell me convict, before I add another scorch mark to your behind!'_

'_We're being led by an idiot with a crayon.'_

'_You expect us to climb through twenty metres of…. Manure?'_

'_I remember that cutter too. You nearly decapitated me with it once.'_

'_You are a cunning reprobate. How did we ever catch you?'_

Mulch missed those days. Him, Julius and Foaly, all at each other throats. Aaah, good times. But his memories were all that was left of them now.

_Slow down, you're moving too fast  
Go home, you'll feel better for it  
Oh boy, you better stop dreaming  
It's all in your head_

Cos it's too late now

Mulch had escaped the clutches of justice again only to risk his freedom over saving one suspiciously smart Mud Boy.

'_Shut your mouth, convict! This doesn't concern you. You just concentrate on enjoying your last few breaths of free air. This time tomorrow you'll be shaking hands with your cell mate, and I hope he's a troll.'_

'_It's all over, Mulch. You won't escape again so get your brain ready for cold food and hard walls.'_

'_Maybe you two would like to get married? I don't know what all the emotion is about. In tem minutes you people won't even remember this convict's name!'_

Those had been the commander's last words to Mulch. His last words. Ever.

_Ride on  
Ride till early morning sun  
Ride on  
Like the dawning of the day  
Its too late  
To let all your feelings show  
Go on  
Till the night has crept away_

Mulch dug rapidly. He didn't know where he was going. And he didn't care. He missed Commander Root, no matter how reluctant he was to admit it. And he would keep missing him for a long, long time.

AUTHORS NOTE:

The second to last chapter is done! Yeah! I hope to finish the last one today too. It will be short, sort of like an epilogue. And you'll never guess who is in it…..


	5. Epilogue

NEW AUTHORS NOTE:

Yeah. Redoing. Yeah. You know? Oh, and big shout out to fetish female who is the only reviewer for the last two chapters. You rock!

OLD AUTHORS NOTE:

No, it isn't Artemis Fowl. Its Root's dear, beloved brother. I've always wondered how dear old Turnball would react upon finding out about his baby brother's death. So I wrote it myself! So now for the final installment of:

**Reflections**

Turnball Root

Turnball Root was sitting at the 'Happy Bar' in the states most secure facility for the criminally insane. The Happy Bar idea was simple. Set up a bar and give the patients in the hospital their medication disguised as a fancy cocktail. Foolproof. So, having just received his cocktail, Turnball was watching the news with a few of his pals. The stock market report was on and the shares on Spud's Spud Emporium had gone up 0.3. Upon this newsflash, several inmates who held shares in rivaling stores had started fighting but this was stopped by some sedative cocktails. Suddenly, the stock report was interrupted by a newsflash (which also caused a fight).

'Commander Julius Root of the LEPrecon unit has been murdered in Chute E73.'

Footage of the commander's death was shown.

'Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon unit, the female test case, shot the commander then fled to the surface.'

This disturbed Turnball's already disturbed mind. What madness was this? On screen, viewers were asked to call crimestoppers with any information but all Turnball could think about was this event. Julius, dead? And the crazy, girly captain? The pretty one? Killed him? She didn't seem like the type. During one of his many plans to get rid of Root she had risked her life and career for him. Just so she could kill him herself? It didn't make sense. The stock market came back on. Turnball couldn't be bothered to think about it any longer. 'Oh well,' he thought 'Better her than me. I didn't feel like going to jail again, anyway.' But that thought was brushed away by another one, even more disturbing. What was he going to tell his mother?

_Every step I take, every move I make  
Every single day, every time I pray  
I'll be missing you  
Thinking of the day, when you went away  
What a life to take, what a bond to break  
I'll be missing you_

AUTHORS NOTE:

My first finished fanfic! Are you proud of me? Please review!


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